1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a tangential vortex flow burner configured to form internal tangential vortex flow in the combustion chamber to facilitate efficient and complete combustion of an fuel/air mixture, and a process of burning fuels having a high moisture content. The burner and process according to the present invention is particularly well suited for the incineration of waste products having a relatively high moisture content such as wood chips, hospital waste, rice hulks and other biological waste.
2. Prior Art
There exists numerous types and designs of burners or incinerators presently in use for the production of energy and/or incineration of waste materials. Many old designs use batch type methods of burning separate loads of fuel during operation. However, there exists many examples of continuous fuel supply burners in operation.
There is a need for a burner design that consumes fuel having a high moisture content (0% up to 45% by weight) thoroughly and with good efficiency while producing a minimal amount of polluting waste gas. This need is particularly relevant with respect to the incineration of waste materials having a high moisture content acting as the fuel. For example, wood chips produced in large amounts in the paper and forestry industries have a high moisture and are readily available as an alternative source of fuel.
Wood chips will not burn effectively in conventional incinerators, since wood chips would tend to clog up the inside of an incinerator and not be fully subject to the combustion process causing a material build up in the incinerator. Further, in the application of medical waste disposal it is imperative that the waste be burned at high temperatures and thoroughly to prevent the release of bacteria and virus from the flu gases into the atmosphere causing the possible spread of disease and infection. Typically, medical waste has a high moisture content supplied by tissue remains and used circulatory and lump fluids absorbed into sponge and gauze type bandage materials. Thus, there is a need for the complete incineration of these materials to minimize the chance of the spread of the disease and infection.